Manual: Difference between revisions

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Most UNIX systems have online manual pages.  The types of manpages have sections which they are grouped in.  Here is the layout of [[BSD]]:
== About ==


Most [[UBO]]s have manual pages. 
MAN(1)                    OpenBSD Reference Manual                    MAN(1)
NAME
    man - display the on-line manual pages
SYNOPSIS
    man [-achw] [-C file] [-M path] [-m path] [-S subsection] [-s section]
        [section] name [...]
    man -f command
    man -k keyword
DESCRIPTION
The types of manpages have sections which they are grouped in.  Here is the manual page layout of [[BSD]]:


;Section 1 : General commands (tools and utilities)
;Section 1 : General commands (tools and utilities)
Line 11: Line 25:
; Section 8 : System maintenance and operation commands
; Section 8 : System maintenance and operation commands
; Section 9 : Kernel internals
; Section 9 : Kernel internals


When someone tells you to run "man 6 tetris", that means that you should read the tetris manpage found in section 6 of the manpages.  Sometimes the same manpage name exists, but in different sections. One example is the fstat manpage it exists in sections 1 and 2.  The lower number sections take precedence over higher numbered sections.  Thus, to see the manpage for fstat in section 2 you would type:
When someone tells you to run "man 6 tetris", that means that you should read the tetris manpage found in section 6 of the manpages.  Sometimes the same manpage name exists, but in different sections. One example is the fstat manpage it exists in sections 1 and 2.  The lower number sections take precedence over higher numbered sections.  Thus, to see the manpage for fstat in section 2 you would type:
Line 17: Line 30:


Similarely functions, [[syscall]]s or commands are sometimes mentioned with the section of manpages in brackets behind them like so:  '''fstat(2)''', you'll see this mentioned a lot in this wiki.
Similarely functions, [[syscall]]s or commands are sometimes mentioned with the section of manpages in brackets behind them like so:  '''fstat(2)''', you'll see this mentioned a lot in this wiki.
Simple example to type at your [[shell]] prompt of most [[UBO]]s:
$ man 1 intro
This brings up the man page for intro(1). You can use your spacebar to go down a page, and "q" for quit.
== Installing manpages ==
On [[Debian]] based GNU/[[Linux]]:
$ sudo apt-get install manpages
== Creating windex ==
If you're looking for a man page and get the following:
# man -k snoop
/usr/share/man/windex: No such file or directory
It means you have yet to create your Index:
# [[variables|/usr/bin/catman]] -w
#
== Searching for Manual Pages ==


It is possible to do a keyword search in the manpage system.
It is possible to do a keyword search in the manpage system.
Line 31: Line 66:
  tar (1) - tape archiver
  tar (1) - tape archiver


Do notice that the section of the manpage are displayed in the keyword search, this is to ease viewing the particular manpage.
Do notice that the section of the manpage is displayed in the keyword search, this is to ease viewing the particular manpage. 
 
<code>$MANPATH</code> is used, unless something else is explicitly specified.
 
== Location of Manual Pages ==
 
In [[BSD]] the default manual pages are located in /usr/share/man.  This can be changed with the MANPATH [[environment variable]]:
 
$ export MANPATH=/usr/local/man
$ man ls
man: no entry for ls in the manual.
$ unset MANPATH
$ man ls
LS(1)                      OpenBSD Reference Manual                      LS(1)
...
 
Another manpage section can be added on to the current MANPATH:
 
$ export MANPATH=/usr/share/man:/usr/local/man
 
 
== Searching in a man page ==
 
Often you will want to search a man page you are viewing for a particular keyword. You can preceed this search word with a "/". If I wanted to see what mediaopt(ions) my sis [[NIC]] has I could do
 
/mediaopt
 
while reading the sis(4) manpage I have on my system. If the first result is not what I want, I don't have to type the full search word after the first time, I can simply use
/
 
which is to "find another instance".  This btw can also be achieved by typing "n" (lowercase) to search forward and "N" (uppercase) to search backwards, at least on [[FreeBSD]].

Latest revision as of 01:20, 26 September 2012

About

Most UBOs have manual pages. 

MAN(1)                     OpenBSD Reference Manual                     MAN(1)
NAME
    man - display the on-line manual pages
SYNOPSIS
    man [-achw] [-C file] [-M path] [-m path] [-S subsection] [-s section]
        [section] name [...]
    man -f command
    man -k keyword
DESCRIPTION

The types of manpages have sections which they are grouped in. Here is the manual page layout of BSD:

Section 1
General commands (tools and utilities)
Section 2
System calls and error numbers
Section 3
Library functions, especially for C and Tk
Section 4
Special files and hardware support
Section 5
File formats, especially configuration files
Section 6
Games
Section 7
Miscellaneous information pages
Section 8
System maintenance and operation commands
Section 9
Kernel internals

When someone tells you to run "man 6 tetris", that means that you should read the tetris manpage found in section 6 of the manpages. Sometimes the same manpage name exists, but in different sections. One example is the fstat manpage it exists in sections 1 and 2. The lower number sections take precedence over higher numbered sections. Thus, to see the manpage for fstat in section 2 you would type: 

$ man 2 fstat

Similarely functions, syscalls or commands are sometimes mentioned with the section of manpages in brackets behind them like so: fstat(2), you'll see this mentioned a lot in this wiki.

Simple example to type at your shell prompt of most UBOs: 

$ man 1 intro

This brings up the man page for intro(1). You can use your spacebar to go down a page, and "q" for quit.

Installing manpages

On Debian based GNU/Linux: 

$ sudo apt-get install manpages

Creating windex

If you're looking for a man page and get the following: 

# man -k snoop
/usr/share/man/windex: No such file or directory

It means you have yet to create your Index: 

# /usr/bin/catman -w 
#

Searching for Manual Pages

It is possible to do a keyword search in the manpage system. 

$ man -k filesystem
OpenBSD::Vstat (3p) - virtual filesystem for pkg_add(1) simulations
dump (8) - filesystem backup
fstab (5) - static information about the filesystems
...

Another command synonymous to man -k is apropos: 

$ apropos archiver
tar (1) - tape archiver

Do notice that the section of the manpage is displayed in the keyword search, this is to ease viewing the particular manpage.

$MANPATH is used, unless something else is explicitly specified.

Location of Manual Pages

In BSD the default manual pages are located in /usr/share/man. This can be changed with the MANPATH environment variable: 

$ export MANPATH=/usr/local/man
$ man ls
man: no entry for ls in the manual. 
$ unset MANPATH
$ man ls
LS(1)                      OpenBSD Reference Manual                      LS(1)
...

Another manpage section can be added on to the current MANPATH: 

$ export MANPATH=/usr/share/man:/usr/local/man


Searching in a man page

Often you will want to search a man page you are viewing for a particular keyword. You can preceed this search word with a "/". If I wanted to see what mediaopt(ions) my sis NIC has I could do 

/mediaopt

while reading the sis(4) manpage I have on my system. If the first result is not what I want, I don't have to type the full search word after the first time, I can simply use 

/

which is to "find another instance". This btw can also be achieved by typing "n" (lowercase) to search forward and "N" (uppercase) to search backwards, at least on FreeBSD.

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